Many vehicles include a front seat belt monitoring system that outputs a warning or alert signal (e.g., an audible alarm or beep) if the driver-side seatbelt and/or the front passenger-side seatbelt is unbuckled. Some vehicles also include a rear seatbelt monitoring system that outputs a warning if one of the rear seatbelts is unbuckled. Both types of monitoring systems typically include a presence detection component that determines whether a person is sitting in the seat before checking a seat belt status. In some vehicles, in addition to, or instead of, the audible alarm, a warning icon or image of an unbuckled seatbelt is displayed on a display screen of the instrument panel or dashboard of the vehicle. Also in some vehicles, an unbuckled rear seatbelt warning may differ from an unbuckled front seat belt warning, so that the driver can easily differentiate between the two types of warnings and quickly identify the seat with an unbuckled seatbelt.
Some vehicles also include a child seat monitoring system that outputs one or more warnings depending on a child seat status. For example, one type of child seat monitoring system detects whether the child seat is installed in the vehicle according to pre-existing installation guidelines, monitors a seatbelt buckle status and other conditions of the child seat, and outputs child seat status information via a user interface or display screen of the system. Another type of child seat monitoring system detects the presence of an unattended child within the vehicle and outputs an audible warning and/or other notification designed to alert the driver, or other nearby person(s), to the situation.
However, existing systems are not capable of monitoring a status of the child seat, child seat belt, and/or child seat belt buckle when the vehicle ignition is “on” and the vehicle gear is in “drive,” and continuing to monitor the status of the child seat belt buckle when the vehicle gear is in “park” and/or the vehicle ignition is “off.” For example, existing child seat monitoring systems are not able to notify the driver if the child seat belt becomes unbuckled while driving and also notify the driver if a child remains buckled in the child seat after the driver has parked and/or exited the vehicle. Accordingly, there is still a need in the art for vehicle systems and methods that can provide comprehensive child seat monitoring.